Saturday, September 3, 2011

Welcome to Intro to Lit: Poetry at Goshen College - Fall 2011

What is poetry?How does it function? Why is poetry important to us? How is our understanding of poetry shaped by cultural context?What work does poetry do in our world?
These are questions we'll be discussing and blogging about in Introduction to Literature: Poetry at Goshen College.

We'll explore these questions by looking at modern and contemporary poetry first in the American context, then in a global context, and finally bringing it back to the student’s choice of an individual book of poetry to read, analyze, write about, and share with the class. Throughout the class we will ask ourselves “what is poetry?” and expand our definitions as we explore the kinds of work it can do in the world. Our study will be enhanced by films, poetry readings, writing exercises, guest lectures, and performances. To start with, What's your favorite poem? Take a look at the Favorite Poem Project